Already looking for next car.

[bmstyle71]

Hope everyone is doing well.

I love my ///M, It's my second ///M, but I want to try different cars and not stick to one thing only. Reading the forums and browsing and what not, I've come up with 3 future car candidates.

What would you choose and why. Thanks guys

Mercedes Benz CLK 63amg black series:
- ***THE ONLY BENZ I WOULD BUY*** I love this car but THAT DAMN AUTOOOOOOOOO (I'd be ok if it was like SMG or some sort of transmission like that) . 6MT lovers, would you sacrifice a manual (for an auto) if you had a car like this? 7 speed automatic transmission, not even a clutch less manual.


Audi RS5
-The upcoming RS5 should be a beast and based on the looks of the S5, it's going to be SEXY


Aston Martin Vantage
ummm....This car is just sex, I don't know what else to say.

[Rez]

The auto tranny is a big drag but that black is hot

[Bimmer Nerd]

CLK 63 amg black series, one georgian dude has it in LA ( i am georgian 2 lol ) there are only 7 in the USA (500 in the whole world) and as he once told me "indescribably amazing"

[ase2dais]

[bmstyle71]

Originally Posted by Rez

The auto tranny is a big drag but that black is hot

+1 it's a HUGE drag lol. I say no forget it, then I look at it and

[bmstyle71]

Originally Posted by ase2dais

That's a c63 amg...I'd rather have my ///M over that. I'm considering getting a CLK 63 AMG black series not a c63 amg

[ChrisFastM3]

The aston.... Who cares if it's not the fastest. It's PURE SEX!

[aut0sh0cker]

Choose the AM... then you can be James Bond

[bmstyle71]

Originally Posted by aut0sh0cker

Choose the AM... then you can be James Bond

James bond eh.......Does the AM come with his gizmos? lol

[SR71M3]

RS5 FTW

[lvwirelessguy]

Originally Posted by godora

CLK 63 amg black series, one georgian dude has it in LA ( i am georgian 2 lol ) there are only 7 in the USA (500 in the whole world) and as he once told me "indescribably amazing"

7 in The USA?

Are you high?

[BMW1986]

I work for an MB dealership. We have a CLK 63 Black on the showroom floor. PM me if interested.

[Raikkonen]

No contest. Black Series. Do research on it's automatic transmission. It was specially engineered specifically for this application. The car is an absolute BEAST.

The RS5, obviously based on the A5, is just far too large. Even w/ the RS treatment, it'll still be too big (think RS6).

The Aston is sex, but relatively speaking, especially in your area, too common.

You may pass other CLK's, but you will NEVER see another Black Series on the road, not to mention that unlike the other cars you're considering, the AMG will actually appreciate in value because of its hyper-rarity. Do it.

[watrob]

The new CLK comes out mid to late 2009 and will be based on the E chassis, so if you buy a clk black now it will be a old model in 6 months time. Resale would drop. Also auto box.

RS5 may not be as spirited as the M3, may look good but still a unknown, resale of Audi's is always a little low.

Aston, well yes nice car, but a big car, also body has not changed in for many years, more a GT crusier than sports car, if looks could kill and they do go too.

For me I would probably go RS5 but the new R8 with a V10is out next year as well, that would be the pick, otherwise the RS5.

Then look a what BMW is going to do with the M3. For me until a new m3 is out I would probably do a new model CLK amg late next year or the new R8 v10 spider. Then back to BMW for the next one.

[rzm3]

According to several reviews I have read/watched, the C63 black somestimes does not shift on demand, very much like the DCT before the update.

[M2381]

All I gotta say is whatever car you get im getting a ride

I saw one a CLK black on the road the other day and I almost drove into a ditch ..get the merc

[bmstyle71]

Originally Posted by M2381

All I gotta say is whatever car you get im getting a ride

I saw one a CLK black on the road the other day and I almost drove into a ditch ..get the merc

another Orlando trip for tint if I get it LOL

[watrob]

There was 50 CLK Blacks that came to Australia and I was offered one, declined, no back seat, front race seat very hard for a DD. The suspension is not as good as it says it is and a auto transmission. No Nav, audio poor.

I know this really is a track car than a DD but Auto!

I have a normal CLK AMG for which I got AMG Antwort Germany to put bigger axles in with a 40% locker diff, I then lowered it an 1" all round. Had 19" wheel made for it in Italy, changed to a Quad tip sport exhaust and then intalled new filters with thermal covered intakes plus Chip around 400hp.


When I married this CLK AMG to the Black I could not see why I would spend another $70k for a car that had a little more HP, handled slightly better, less equipment, no back seats and the same gearbox & the same diff as mine, plus in 8 months will be an old model. Rather wait until the next black series is released.

My $0.02

[lvwirelessguy]

Originally Posted by watrob

There was 50 CLK Blacks that came to Australia and I was offered one, declined, no back seat, front race seat very hard for a DD. The suspension is not as good as it says it is and a auto transmission. No Nav, audio poor.

I know this really is a track car than a DD but Auto!

I have a normal CLK AMG for which I got AMG Antwort Germany to put bigger axles in with a 40% locker diff, I then lowered it an 1" all round. Had 19" wheel made for it in Italy, changed to a Quad tip sport exhaust and then intalled new filters with thermal covered intakes plus Chip around 400hp.


When I married this CLK AMG to the Black I could not see why I would spend another $70k for a car that had a little more HP, handled slightly better, less equipment, no back seats and the same gearbox & the same diff as mine, plus in 8 months will be an old model. Rather wait until the next black series is released.

My $0.02

Thanks for admitting that you don't have a C63

[M2381]

Originally Posted by watrob

There was 50 CLK Blacks that came to Australia and I was offered one, declined, no back seat, front race seat very hard for a DD. The suspension is not as good as it says it is and a auto transmission. No Nav, audio poor.

I know this really is a track car than a DD but Auto!

I have a normal CLK AMG for which I got AMG Antwort Germany to put bigger axles in with a 40% locker diff, I then lowered it an 1" all round. Had 19" wheel made for it in Italy, changed to a Quad tip sport exhaust and then intalled new filters with thermal covered intakes plus Chip around 400hp.


When I married this CLK AMG to the Black I could not see why I would spend another $70k for a car that had a little more HP, handled slightly better, less equipment, no back seats and the same gearbox & the same diff as mine, plus in 8 months will be an old model. Rather wait until the next black series is released.

My $0.02

Hmm that does make sense...maybe that route is less appealing to those where money isn't a factor or if they wanted something more race orientated rather then a dd

[captainaudio]

I really don't understand these knee jerk "It's an automatic and it sucks" posts, particularly since I doubt anyone posting here as actually driven this car.
There are a number of technologies available for paddle shifted, no clutch pedal transmissions. There are conventional (although higly refined) true automatics with torque converters like the ZF unit in the 335i and the Jaguar XKR (I have one of each). The torque converter on the ZF is locked up most of the time. There are "F1" style Sequential Manual Gearboxes (SMG) like the one used in the E46 M3 and the M5. There are Dual Clutch (DCT) transmissions like the one in the new M5 and the various Audis. Mercedes has come out with a new unit called the AMG SpeedShift 7 that is similar to a conventional automatic (i.e. planetaty gears) but it uses a multi-plate clutch instead of a torque converter. (see article below)

All of these paddle shifted transmissions offer a "fully automatic" mode where the shifts occur automatically with no intervention from the driver. Any of these technologies are capable of very fast shifts and perfectly rev matched down shifts. Gererally the SMGs and DCTs had a performance advantage and the "automatics" shifted smoother but all of these technologies are developing rapidly. The peformance of the "automatics" is approaching the performance of the DCTs and SMGs and the SMGs and DCTs are getting smoother and more refined.

Bottom line is you use paddles to shift and the transmission either shifts well or it does not. The underlying technology that executes the gear change is inconsequential.

P.S. Afterthought after I read the previous sentence. Maybe there should be an additional technology developed combing the best of all of the others.

It would, of course, be called the IMG (inconSEQUENTIAL Manual Gearbox)









The AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission, used exclusively in the new Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG receive “Best of what’s new Awards” from the editors of Popular Science magazine.
Equipped with seven gears, four driving modes, a double-declutch function and a RACE START function, the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission excels with previously unattained flexibility. MCT stands for Multi-Clutch Technology, and indicates that gearchanges are executed solely by the clutch components.
No interruption in tractive power and four driving modes
The centrepiece of the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission is the wet start-off clutch, which operates in a sump and replaces the previous torque converter. Thanks to its low rotational inertia, this transmission is extremely responsive and dynamic, with movements of the accelerator immediately translated into motive power. Equipped with four driving modes, the transmission shifts the gears with no interruption in tractive power and provides tailor-made shift strategies for maximum driving pleasure. In “C” mode the gearchanges are comfort-oriented, with “soft” accelerator mapping for extremely smooth progress. In “S” mode the engine and transmission respond much more immediately, with more revs in each gear and faster downshifts. Gearshifts are also around 20 percent faster than in “C”. Changing to driving mode “S+” shortens this time by a further 20 percent, while “M” provides the most sporty mode of all: now the 6.3-litre AMGV8-engine responds more sharply, and the transmission shifts the gears 10 percent faster – corresponding to a 50 reduction versus “C” mode. In “M” mode the gearchanges take only 100 milliseconds.

[ACZakka325i]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

I really don't understand these knee jerk "It's an automatic and it sucks" posts, particularly since I doubt anyone posting here as actually driven this car.
There are a number of technologies available for paddle shifted, no clutch paddle transmissions. There are conventional (although higly refined) true automatics with torque converters like the ZF unit in the 335i and the Jaguar XKR (I have one of each). The torque converter on the ZF is locked up most of the time. There are "F1" style Sequential Manual Gearboxes (SMG) like the one used in the E46 M3 and the M5. There are Dual Clutch (DCT) transmissions like the one in the new M5 and the varius Audis. Mercedes has come out with a new unit called the AMG SpeedShift 7 that is similar to a conventional automatic (i.e. planetaty gears) but it uses a multi-plate clutch instead of a torque converter. (see article below)

All of these paddle shifted transmissions offer a "fully automatic" mode where the shifts occur automatically with no intervention from the driver.
Any of these technologies are capable of very fast shifts and perfectly rev matched down shifts. Gererally the SMGs and DCTs had a performance advantage and the "automatics" shifted smoother. All of these technologies are developing rapidly. The peformance of the "automatics" is approaching the performance of the DCTs and SMGs and the SMGs and DCTs are getting smoother and more refined.
Bottom line is you use paddles to shift and the transmission either shifts well or it does not. The underlying technology that executes the gear change is incidental.









The AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission, used exclusively in the new Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG receive “Best of what’s new Awards” from the editors of Popular Science magazine.
Equipped with seven gears, four driving modes, a double-declutch function and a RACE START function, the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission excels with previously unattained flexibility. MCT stands for Multi-Clutch Technology, and indicates that gearchanges are executed solely by the clutch components.
No interruption in tractive power and four driving modes
The centrepiece of the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission is the wet start-off clutch, which operates in a sump and replaces the previous torque converter. Thanks to its low rotational inertia, this transmission is extremely responsive and dynamic, with movements of the accelerator immediately translated into motive power. Equipped with four driving modes, the transmission shifts the gears with no interruption in tractive power and provides tailor-made shift strategies for maximum driving pleasure. In “C” mode the gearchanges are comfort-oriented, with “soft” accelerator mapping for extremely smooth progress. In “S” mode the engine and transmission respond much more immediately, with more revs in each gear and faster downshifts. Gearshifts are also around 20 percent faster than in “C”. Changing to driving mode “S+” shortens this time by a further 20 percent, while “M” provides the most sporty mode of all: now the 6.3-litre AMGV8-engine responds more sharply, and the transmission shifts the gears 10 percent faster – corresponding to a 50 reduction versus “C” mode. In “M” mode the gearchanges take only 100 milliseconds.

Listen Bub, these aren't knee-jerk reactions. Basically what we are saying that if there isnt a clutch pedal for us to modulate/manipulate, then its simply a deal breaker for us and we wont consider X car because of it given X amount of dollars. I understand these "automated" transmissions have their differences, but they are all more or less AUTOMATIC or if you prefer "automated, sequential, assisted, whatever."

Ya dig? Most care enthusiasts (my freinds who track porsches, bmws, etc.) agree, no stick no go. Simple as that. Call me old fashioned if you like.